ASUS unveils the ZenFone 5Z, its 2018 flagship

The flagship killer battle hots up with the arrival of the ASUS ZenFone 5. And yes, it sports a notched display too.

ASUS was among the first Android brands to embrace the Notch that we saw on the iPhone X. The ZenFone 5Z, which was one of the stars of the Mobile World Congress, makes its debuts in India almost four months since it was first unveiled in Barcelona. The jury might still be out on the notch but it has become the new gold standard for Android flagships. The 5Z sits on top of the tree among ASUS’ ZenFone 5 line-up for 2018 and we came away impressed with our first brush with the device.

It’s remarkably light, weighing slightly above 160 gm, impressive for a device that sports a full HD+ 6.2-inch display (2246 x 1080 pixels). A 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio sure helps. You can’t ignore the notch but ASUS has added a clever full-screen mode that might help you ignore this tiny strip of bezel while you’re gaming or playing catch up on Netflix.

The ZenFone 5Z has its sights trained on the OnePlus 6, one of this year’s big Android sensations. It’s one reason why speed is one of the talking points for the 5Z. It’s powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. ASUS claims that its LPDDR4X RAM and UFS2.1 ROM combine to provide a super fast experience, something that we observed with an insanely quick boot time. The top-of-the-line version features 256GB of internal storage and there’s also room for expandable memory (upto 2 TB) with support for Micro SD cards.

The camera is the other headline feature of the ZenFone 5Z. At its core is the Sony IMX 363 sensor coupled with OIS and EIS (Electronic Image stabilization). The primary camera comprises a dual camera set up. We dig the wide-angle mode (120-degree field of view), something that LG pioneered with the G5. It opens up a host of possibilities when you’re shooting landscapes and city scapes. We’ll save our verdict for the camera’s lowlight claims for the deep dive. There are 16AI modes. Not surprisingly AI is a recurring theme for the ZenFone 5Z, from the camera to a clever AI fast charging that promises to optimise battery life. The ZenFone 5Z is clearly leaving nothing to chance, the flagship killer segment is a cluttered space and you need more than one trick up your sleeve.

Highlights:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (64-bit) processor

6GB / 8GB RAM

128 GB / 256 GB ROM (with expandable memory)

12MP dual rear camera / 8MP selfie camera

6.2-inch Full HD+ display (2246 x 1080 pixels)

The top-of-the-line ASUS ZenFone 5Z costs ₹36,999 and will be available on Flipkart from July 9.